Reba McEntire has a lot to be happy about professionally with a return to scripted comedy and her role as coach on The Voice on top of her status as an iconic, beloved country music star.
She also has plenty of reasons to smile about her romantic life, too, with partner, CSI: Miami actor Rex Linn. Now Reba, 69, is opening up about the man she calls “the love of my life” and addressing whether they will get married.
“We’ve been together for almost five years,” McEntire said in an interview with Us Weekly. “And my health is good, his health is good. My family is healthy, What more could I ask for?
“Rex and I are best friends. We have the same likes and dislikes. We’re foodies. We love to cook. We each wanted to be a cowboy and cowgirl. Then we got into the entertainment business instead. Our dynamic works on and off screen.”
She noted how they like to watch sports together on TV, and enjoy time in their garden feeding the birds and tending to their roses. “We just love to be together.”
Along with being in love, McEntire and Linn also work together in the upcoming NBC sitcom aptly titled Happy’s Place. McEntire plays Bobbie, who inherits her dad’s tavern where she has worked for a decade. The twist is she discovers the new co-owner is a 20-something half-sister sister named Isabella (Belissa Escobedo) she didn’t even know about.
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Linn takes on the role of Emmett, a short-order cook. McEntire and Linn actually first met in 1991 on the set of the western drama The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw. They also had some time on Big Sky.
“I think we have made each other better,” Reba says of her beau. “Rex brings out the little girl in me and I have fun. I’m dorky, I’m goofy. He is too. We love to laugh, and we love each other.”
McEntire spoke about Linn’s culinary skills in the kitchen at home to TV Insider during a feature previewing her show’s premiere on October 18. She revealed her nickname for her boyfriend is “Tater Tot.”
“We cook together, but he’s the type that will find a recipe and cook for three days. I’m like, ‘What’s in the refrigerator?’ I just pile it all together,” McEntire said.
Before getting together with Linn, McEntire was divorced twice. First to Charlie Battles from 1976 to 1987. She then got with Narvel Blackstock in 1989 before officially calling it quits in 2015.
As for if McEntire gets married again she responded to US Weekly by saying, “I’m fine with the way we are. If Rex ever wants to get married, then we’ll talk about it, but I’m fine. I love our relationship 100 percent.”
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Matt LaFleur is earning the ire of several of his Green Bay Packers players early in training camp. On Tuesday, LaFleur punished offensive tackle Rasheed Walker for his altercation with defensive end Kingsley Enagbare. However, the most interesting interaction of the day came between LaFleur and tight end Tucker Kraft. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, LaFleur called out Kraft for two questionable fumbles during the first week of practice. Both "fumbles" came after the play was over or when the ball fell out of bounds. "Certainly, we all know what kind of player Tucker Kraft is and can be," LaFleur said. "He can’t allow Evan Williams to reach around and punch a ball out, so it is challenging everybody and hopefully that makes us that much better.” The third-year tight end took issue with LaFleur calling him out in front of the media and blamed the coaching staff for implementing practice rules that made it easy for offensive players to fumble. "I’d say a lot of the times — there’s certain rules you play with in practice, like just letting the defense punch repeatedly," Kraft said. "You’re not allowed to stiff-arm. I guess all I have are excuses. Yes, I am working on not fumbling the ball in practice." Schneidman said Kraft answered the question with a tone of sarcasm. Kraft was frustrated that he couldn't defend the ball by stiff-arming a defender trying to poke the ball from his undefended arm. Kraft acknowledged that during practice, he has to "play by the rules" LaFleur makes and is trying to work on having a "yes sir, no sir" attitude with his head coach. He then made a vague reference about a "bus fine" and accused LaFleur of throwing him under the bus in front of the media. Schneidman believes the tight end might actually be calling for Green Bay to fine LaFleur after his discouraging quote Tuesday morning. "So yes, the Packers’ third-year tight end might be calling for his head coach to be fined — not by the league, of course, but by the team — for what he perceived as throwing him under the bus," Schneidman wrote. "Is Kraft being serious about fining LaFleur? "Probably not. Is he peeved LaFleur called him out? It sure seems like it." LaFleur might do better to have a conversation with Kraft before dragging his name into news conferences with reporters. It's clear Tucker doesn't see eye-to-eye with LaFleur about fumbles. This is a good reminder to those getting overly excited or nervous reading practice reports that what happens at practice should be taken with a grain of salt. Most likely, Tucker is going to be fine.
Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson has been holding out from training camp as he seeks a new contract, and it does not sound like the two sides are all that close to a deal. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on "SportsCenter" Monday that there has been "some progress" in negotiations between the Bengals and Hendrickson's representatives over the past week or so. The real disagreement has to do with guaranteed money, and Cincinnati's brass is not budging. "Hendrickson wants a stronger guaranteed structure, particularly later in what should be a multiyear deal. In talking to people with the Bengals they feel like, 'Hey, we've probably relented as far as we can go.' So this is a classic stare-off right now, and it's time to buckle up," Fowler said, via Andrew Peters of Bleacher Report. Hendrickson is set to earn $16M in base salary in the final year of his contract this season. He recently said he has shown a willingness to take less than market value on a new deal, but the Bengals do not want to guarantee him money beyond the 2026 season. Based on what he has said, the 30-year-old Hendrickson is not seeking to become the highest-paid defensive player in football. In order to accomplish that, he would have to top the three-year, $123M extension T.J. Watt signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Hendrickson had 35 sacks over the past two seasons, which was the most in the NFL during that span. He had 17.5 sacks each season and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024. The Bengals took care of one major offseason issue on Sunday when they finally signed first-round pick Shemar Stewart to a rookie deal. All it will take is one side to budge in the team's ongoing stalemate with Hendrickson, but all parties seem to be dug in as training camp rolls on.
The Green Bay Packers, like all other NFL teams, are in the midst of their training camp in preparation for the 2025 season. Despite the fact that these practices are in their early stages, there have been plenty of headlines coming out of Packers training camp that have fans very intrigued to see the 2025 team. Of course, the battle for a job at wide receiver is one that many fans are keeping an eye on. Rookie pass catcher Matthew Golden has been turning heads ever since camp began, and his chemistry with Jordan Love is quickly developing. Just today (Tuesday), the pair connected for a 60-yard touchdown pass and catch during practice. Aside from the exciting playmaking from several members of the team, the physicality with which the Packers are practicing has also drawn some attention. Nate Hobbs, for example, was benched following a hard hit on running back Marshawn Lloyd. Additionally, several players found themselves called out publicly by head coach Matt LaFleur. Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Called Out Tight End Tucker Kraft On Monday, one of the plays that was mentioned by multiple beat reporters was how second-year safety Evan Williams punched the ball out of tight end Tucker Kraft‘s hands on a pass and catch play. Apparently, it is not the first time Kraft, who has just one fumble in two seasons, dropped the ball during camp. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday morning, LaFleur said, “I got on the guys this morning about exposing the football. Certainly, we all know what kind of player Tucker Kraft is and can be. He can’t allow Evan Williams to reach around and punch a ball out, so it is challenging everybody and hopefully that makes us that much better.” Kraft, of course, is a fan-favorite whom many believe will be one of the NFL’s best tight ends this season. Williams, for his part, emerged as the Packers’ other starting safety as a rookie last year alongside All-Pro Xavier McKinney. And as far as the criticism from LaFleur goes, well, Kraft was not really having any of it. Green Bay Packers Tight End Tucker Kraft Claps Back at Matt LaFleur When Kraft was asked about LaFleur’s comments, he seemed to brush them off in as respectful a manner possible. Listening to him, it would appear that the rules of practice slightly favor the defense right now. “Um, yeah, sure,” Kraft said per Matt Schneidman. “It’s something we’re always working on. I’d say a lot of the times — there’s certain rules you play with in practice, like just letting the defense punch repeatedly. You’re not allowed to stiff-arm. I guess all I have are excuses. Yes, I am working on not fumbling the ball in practice. “It’s a large part of my game. I use my off hand as a weapon, repeatedly, all the time. I’ve shown that, so I get my reps in that when we play games, I guess. … I just play by the rules. I don’t make ’em. “That’s just a ‘yes sir, no sir’ mentality with coach at this point. You want to obviously keep the ball in the offense’s possession as long as possible. Bus fine, in my opinion. Whatever.” When asked to clarify what he meant by “bus,” Kraft explained that he felt his head coach threw him under the bus. Schneidman also clarified that Kraft was being light-hearted, but was noticeably “peeved” that LaFleur said what he did. That being said, it is not expected to be an issue that lingers very long.
Second-year Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James entered the NBA offseason as a completely new player, with significantly more confidence on the court. James was drafted in the second round last summer by the Lakers, though he only made spot cameos with Los Angeles. Instead, he spent most of his time with the G League team, getting repetitions among other NBA-caliber talent. He faced intense scrutiny as the son of LeBron James, arguably the greatest player of all time, and was criticized by the national media for allegedly being a product of nepotism. More news: Lakers' Luka Doncic Makes Major Offseason Announcement In Las Vegas this summer, Bronny James proved his critics wrong and showed a ton of growth on the court, which was noticed by Lakers' Summer League coach Lindsey Harding. “He’s been great,” Harding told the media, per Mike Trudell of Lakers.com “Having his time in the G League, getting more and more confidence and then coming here and taking more minutes and responsibility on his shoulders." During the showcase games, James averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.5 rebounds over his 24.3 minutes per outing. "Handling the ball much more than he has in the past and making those decisions and reads for us, he’s taken that role on as a leader, that was also part of his growth," Harding said. "And then on the defensive end, where he had those moments where he can really pressure (the ball), pick up full court, be disruptive," Harding added. "That’s something where he can really have an immediate impact for our team this season.” More news: Lakers’ Luka Doncic Reveals Shocking New Fitness Regimen, Diet He shot an impressive 35.3% from three and guarded the opposing team's best player with energy and intensity. With a Lakers team lacking defensive guards, James could break into the rotation and eat into Gabe Vincent's minutes. Amid all of the scrutiny, he is proving his long list of doubters wrong and showing his true potential on the basketball court. More news: Former Lakers Center Nearing Deal With Surprise Team For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
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